Piping and Conduit Support Rack

ABSTRACT

A rack system for supporting conduits, piping, wiring, etc, are provided. The rack has an inverted V shape, and a level top ridge for supporting the conduits, etc. The rack has an opening in the ridge through which a bolt extends and continues through a standoff adapted to securely fit down both sides of the inverted V.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/939,246, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on Mar. 28,2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/478,464, titled “Piping and Conduit Support Rack”, filed on Mar. 29,2017, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to racks used to support electrical conduits,cable tray, plumbing pipes and process piping in a sanitary manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In typical construction projects in the food processing, health,consumer goods, electronics and medical industries, the electrical andplumbing contractors are responsible for creating support racks for theplumbing, conduits, cable trays and wiring that will be installed. Theprocess involved in creating and building these racks is one thatinvolved manpower and time. Each construction project is different, andrequires the contractors to custom build each rack system to fit theproject. The time is spent measuring the length of the racks, measuringwhere the support posts or rod hangers will be installed, drilling holesfor the support posts or rod hangers, welding the different piecestogether, and other time consuming actions.

Additionally, in these types of projects the support racks need to bemade so they can be cleaned frequently to remove dirt and moisture, andto avoid the growth of bacteria, mold and other hazards. In traditionaland typical projects, the rack systems were not designed with thosecriteria in mind. Due to the need for on-site customization, the typicalmethods even increased the risk that contaminants could be introducedinto the manufacturing processes.

Recently, new rack systems and structures have been introduced that aredirected to address the problem of timely custom construction, and alsothe special needs of the food and health industries. These rack systemshave pre-made openings allowing flexibility in installation. The racksare typically suspended from the ceilings by way of hanger rods, and theconduits and piping can be installed where it is most convenient for thejob. Also, racks have been designed with angled side walls that make itmore difficult for dirt and moisture to build, and are easier to clean.However, using conventional hardware can also present the risk ofcontamination. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,543,606, (the '606patent) structures for supporting conduits in a sanitary manner aredisclosed. The patent discloses a conduit support and a conduitreceiving area in the support. The support is attached to conduits thatcan be square, round, hollow or solid, via bolts, welding, snap locks.The conventional hardware for securing the supports, as shown in thefigures of the '606 patent all have edges and surfaces on whichcontaminants can collect.

In view of these disadvantages, there remains a need for a rack systemthat employs integrated hardware for reducing the risk of contaminantcollection. Also, there remains a need to use these support racks fromstructures, such as pipes or poles or posts, that are installed from thefloor up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, this invention is a rack support system comprising a rackwith a first side wall and a second side wall connected to form aninverted v shape with a top ridge. The rack further has a first openingin the ridge, defined between a first edge and second edge to provide alevel surface between the first and second edge. The system furthercomprises a bolt with a head that has a beveled profile to match theangle formed by the v shape on an underside of the rack. The boltfurther comprises a shank, and a threaded portion which extend throughthe opening in the rack and are exposed on the top side of the levelsurface of the rack ridge. The shank and threaded portion further extendthrough an opening in a standoff that allows the threaded portion topartially extend above the top surface of the standoff. The standofffurther comprises leg portions extending over the first and second sidewalls, and at angles that match the angle formed by the two side walls.

In another aspect, this invention is a rack having a first side wall andsecond side wall connected to form an inverted v shape with a top ridge.The rack further has a first opening in the ridge, defined between afirst edge and second edge to provide a level surface between the firstand second edge. The side walls terminate at a first end and a secondend. At these ends are attached a first plate and a second plate. Theouter surfaces of the first plate and second plates have concaveindentations.

In another aspect, this invention is a rack or support system comprisingthe rack described above secured to a first post at the first end, and asecond post at the second end by fastening means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a rack embodiment of this inventionshowing the inverted v shape.

FIG. 1B is a view from one side of a rack embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 1C is a top view of a rack embodiment of this invention showing theopening in the ridge on the top of the rack.

FIG. 1D is an end view of a rack embodiment of this invention showingthe inverted v shape, and the angle formed on the underside of the racktaken along line 1D-1D of FIG. 1C.

FIG. 2A is a side view of a bolt embodiment of this invention showingthe beveled head.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a bolt embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a standoff embodiment of thisinvention.

FIG. 3B is a bottom view of a standoff embodiment of this inventionviewed along line 3B-3B of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a side view of a standoff embodiment of this invention viewedalong line 3C-3C of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 3D is a second side view of a standoff embodiment of this inventionviewed along line 3D-3D in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the rack system of thisinvention showing how the rack, bolt, standoff, and conduit supportmember are cooperatively constructed.

FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the rack showingthe inverted v shape and with attached end plates.

FIG. 5B shows a top view of the embodiment showing the opening in theridge on the top of the rack.

FIG. 5C shows an end view of the embodiment of the rack showing twoopenings viewed along line 5C-5C of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 6 is an exploded viewing showing the rack embodiment of thisinvention with end plates attached to posts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings for the purposes of illustratingembodiments of the invention only, and not for the purposes of limitingthe same. FIGS. 1A-D show an embodiment of a rack of this invention withan inverted V shape. Rack 100, has first side wall 101, and second sidewall 102 terminating in end 103 and end 104. Ridge 105 is formed at thejuncture of side wall 101 and side wall 102, and has elongated opening106 formed between edge 107 and edge 108. Rack 100 is shown with asingle opening, but other embodiments can have two or more openingsdepending on the length of the rack, and its purpose. Opening 106 haswidth 112 as shown in FIG. 1C. The surface is flat between edge 107 andedge 108. The rack further comprises first circular opening 109 towardend 103, and second circular opening 110 toward end 104 which providemeans for attaching rack 100 to hanger rods (not shown) extending downfrom an upper stationary structure such as a ceiling or beam, which willbe shown and discussed further in FIG. 4.

FIG. 1D shows rack 100 with side wall 101 and side wall 102 forming aninverted V with top ridge 105. On the inner surface of rack 100, angle111 is formed by the juncture of side wall 101 and side wall 102. In apreferred embodiment, ridge 105 can be milled down to provide a flatsurface along the entire ridge of the rack.

FIGS. 2A-B show a beveled bolt 200 embodiment of this invention. Bolt200 comprises head 201 with beveled shoulder 202. Bolt 200 alsocomprises shank 203 and threaded end portion 204. The bevel in shoulder202 is designed to match, and preferably fit flush with angle 111 formedon the inner surface of rack 100.

FIGS. 3A-C show a standoff 300 embodiment of this invention. Standoff300 comprises body 301 with legs 302 extending from the bottom portion305 of body 301. Preferably, bottom portion 106 has a width 308 (shownin FIG. 3C) that is substantially equal to the width 112 of the outeredges of opening 106 in rack 100. Legs 302 have a slope thatsubstantially matches the slope and angle formed by the inverted V ofrack 100. The angle 307 that would be formed if legs 302 met issubstantially matches angle 111. The top of body 301 comprises taperedshoulder 303, and top surface 304. Throughout body 301 of standoff 300extends an opening 305.

FIG. 4 shows a rack system 400 embodiment of this invention combiningelements rack 100, bolt 200, and standoff 300. System 400 also compriseshanger rods 401 for securing rack 100 to a support, such as a ceiling(not shown) through threaded ends 404.

Hanger rod 401 has threaded end 402 for extending through openings 109and 110 in rack 100. Hanger rod 401 is secured to rack 100 with nut 403covering threaded end 402, which nut 403 preferably has a beveledshoulder matching angle 111 on the inner surface of rack 100. It ispreferred, that nut 403 has the same beveling as the shoulder of bolt200.

By beveling to fit angle 111, contaminants are prevented from collectingon the surface of head 201. It is also preferred that nut 403 completelycovers threaded ends 402 to avoid contaminants from collecting on thethreaded ends 402. Hanger rod 401 can be any form for supporting therack, such as a rod of steel with threaded ends. Preferably, the hangerrod is threaded on its entire length and covered with a plastic sheath.The sheath is readily removed by cutting to expose the length of threadneed for the particular application. By sheathing the threaded rod inplastic, contaminants are prevented from forming on the threads. Therack system 400 can further comprise spacer 405 that has end 406designed to fit in openings 109 and 110. This prevents contaminants fromcollecting in openings 109 and 110. Preferably, spacer 405 has smoothsloped edges to reduce the surface on which dirt, debris, andcontaminants can collect.

Rack system 400 shows bolt 200 on the underside of rack 100 with end 204extending through opening 106 in rack 100 and opening 306 in standoff300. Threaded end 204 secures conduit support member 407 through end408. Once assembled, standoff 300 fits with legs 301 and 302 (not shown)fully integrated with side walls 101 and 102 (not shown) of rack 100.Because of the smooth sloped or slanted surfaces of standoff 300, andbecause legs 301 and 302 fit flush on surfaces 101 and 102, there arefew flat surfaces or edges for contaminants to collect.

FIGS. 5A-C, show an embodiment of rack 500 of this invention with aninverted V shape formed by sides 501 and 502, and with attached endplates 503 and 504. As this embodiment is suitable for installation onfloor posts, it does not have openings in the ridge to allow hanging viahanging rods. Rack 500 has opening 505 formed between edges 507 and 508,and opening 509 formed between edges 510 and 511. Openings 506 and 509are separated by surface 505, which is milled down to be level withopenings 506 and 509. Ridge 514 extends above openings 506 and 509.Plate 503 is attached to end 515, and plate 504 is attached to end 516.Openings 512 are in plates 503 and 504 for receiving fastening means orsecuring members. On the outer surface of plates 503 and 504 are concaveindentations 513.

In FIG. 5B, side wall 502 can be seen along with side wall 501. Concaveindentations 513 are shown, as are openings 506 and 509 formed betweenedges 507 and 508, and 510 and 511, respectively. FIG. 5C is an end viewshowing plate 503 with openings 512 and indentations 513.

The rack system embodiment of this invention attached to support posts520 is shown in FIG. 6. Rack 500 is secured to posts 602 and 603 viafasteners in the form of U-bolts 522 and securing members 523. Otherfastening means are suitable based on the installation, and examples arewelding and adhesives. The ends of U-bolt 522 are threaded and passthrough holes 512 and 513. They are secured with securing members in theform of nuts 523. Once secured, the posts 602 and 603 are seated inindentations 513 of ends 503 and 504. Conduit support member 407 isspaced above rack 500 by standoff 300, and secured by bolt 200 whichextends up from the underside of rack 500 through opening 506, thenthrough standoff 300. Support member 407 is threaded onto threadedportion 204 of bolt 200.

Once assembled, the rack system can accommodate a variety of conduits,pipes, wiring, cable trays, and other items (not shown). Because the topsurface of the ridge is level, and because the openings extendsubstantially the entire length of the ridge, the conduits, pipes etc.can be efficiently placed anywhere along the surface of the ridge. Thisresults in quicker installation of the conduits, etc. as the need todrill precisely located openings is avoided. The inverted V is desirablein installations with sanitation concerns, such as food, health,consumer goods, electronics, and drug manufacturing, as the slopesurfaces do not collect dust, dirt, and debris as readily as flatsurfaces, and are easier to clean.

The racks of this invention can be made from materials typically used inthe construction industry for electrical and plumbing conduit supportsystems. These materials include stainless steel, aluminum, hot-dippedgalvanized or mild steel angle, channel or flat bar. Preferred materialsinclude 304 and 316 Stainless Steel, 606 T6 Extruded Aluminum angle,channel or flat bar.

The racks can be formed into the inverted V shape by conventional means.For stainless steel, the angle is rolled out of a steel mill. Foraluminum, the angle is extruded. The constructed rack can have anydesired angle, with 90° being preferred. Once the material ismill-rolled or extruded to the desired shape, it is cut to variouslengths. It is desirable to cut openings into the top ridge by waterjet,CNC Milling machine, plasma or laser cutter. There are two types ofopenings made in the ridge. One type is formed by cutting a channel orslot in the ridge. This channel/slot gives a user the flexibility toinstall piping, conduits, cable trays, and wiring readily along any partof the rack. The other type of opening is a support opening. Thisopening is used to attach the rack to a ceiling or other supportstructure. It is through this opening that the hanger rod of thisinvention will be passed through. In FIG. 1, the edges of the openingare shown extending above the flat areas formed from the openings.Optionally, the edges could be machined down to provide a level surfaceall along the top ridge of the rack.

The underside head of the bolts used in this invention have a beveledsurface to match the angle formed on the inner surface of the rack. Thebolts can be made from 304 or 316 Stainless Hex Stock machined into theshape of a bolt. The hex stock is cut to any length suitable for theproject, and threads cut into a portion of the shank leaving theshoulder (unthreaded portion) and then beveling the underside of thebolt head to match the angle of the underside of the rack. In thepreferred embodiment, the angle of the inner surface is 90°, and theangle of the beveled shoulder is substantially 45°. This process iscompleted on a threading machine, CNC milling machine & lathe.

Because the bevel has the same angle as the inner surface of the wallsof the rack, when fully assembled the beveled head of the bolt willpreferably lie flush with the inner surfaces of the rack walls. Theflush connection significantly reduces the space dirt, moisture, andother contaminants can cling, thus reducing the potential for mold andbacterial growth on the surface of the bolt. Hanging the support rackfrom the ceiling is done by securing hanger rods from above and passingthem through mounting hardware such as spacer #405 through the hole inthe rack, and secured with a nut, which is preferably beveled to matchthe angle of the inner surface of the rack.

The standoff used in this invention is shown in FIG. 3, and is designedto straddle the top of the inverted V rack. The legs have inner angledsurfaces that match the angle formed on the upper surface of the wallsof the rack. Thus, the legs preferably lie flush on the upper surface ofthe rack. This flush connection significantly reduces the sites wherecontaminants, dirt and moisture can collect, and thereby, reduce thepotential for mold and bacterial growth on the surface of the rack. Thestandoff with beveled bolt of this invention can be used with varioussanitary pipe clamps installed over the opening slot to support theconduit, such as shown in FIG. 4. When used with such clamps, the needfor an installer to weld a separate steel spacer to rack is eliminated.The standoff and beveled bolt allow for adjustability to help ensurethat the clamp is perfectly level as opposed to the morepermanent/stationary weld in traditional rack systems. The standoff is apiece of 304S (or 316S) round stock that is cut to length, machined toconform seamlessly to the shape of the inverted V rack. An opening isbored through the length of the standoff and then the top is machinedpreferably with sloping shoulders, again to limit the space for dirt,etc. to collect. The beveled bolt (FIG. 2) is a 304S (or 316S) boltwhose head has been machined in a bevel so as to preferably perfectlyfit into the web of the angle of the inverted V rack.

Machined mounting hardware, for example, spacer #405, is preferably usedin this invention to space the support rod from the rack. The mountinghardware can be made from 304 or 316 hex stock. The mounting hardware istapered as shown in #406 to fit into the hole in the rack. The spaceralso has an opening through which the threaded portion of the hanger rodextends. The purpose of the mounting hardware is designed to cover anyexposed thread portion of the installation support hanger rods. Thehanger rod is secured from underneath by means of a nut, which ispreferably beveled, to fit into the web of the angle of the inverted Vrack. By covering the exposed threaded portion, the areas on which moldand bacteria can grow are reduced.

The end plates are made of the same materials as used for the racks ofthis invention. The outside surface of the end plates are machined outto form an indentation to sit flush to circular support poles or posts.This machining can be done by milling (CNC milling machine) the preciseradius groove to match the radius of the support poles. The flat side(non-indented side) of the end plates are attached to the inverted Vracks of this invention by a Tungsten Inert Gas Weld or TIG weld. Oncethe end plates are attached, the racks can be installed to support polesusing suitable U-bolts, as is shown in FIG. 6.

The end supports 520 and 521 can be made of any material capable ofsupporting the racks, and the conduits, piping, or other materialssupported on the racks. Preferably, they are circular to fit snugly withindentations 514, and are made of steel, although any material ofsuitable strength are suitable. The fasteners can be of any formsuitable for enclosing the end supports, and can be in the form ofU-bolts, or similar shapes. The ends of the fasteners can be threaded sothey can be secured with nuts, or they can be secured by snap fastenersas well. These can be made of any material typically used for makingfasteners and nuts. The plates can also be fastened or secured to theposts using other fastening means, such as welding, adhesives, or othermeans known to those skilled in the art.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A rack system comprising: a rack with afirst side connected to a second side by a top ridge; an opening in thetop ridge; a bolt comprising a head having a beveled shoulder configuredto fit flush with an underside of the rack, a shank extending from thehead, and a threaded portion which extends through the opening in thetop ridge; and a standoff positioned over the opening in the top ridge,the standoff comprising leg portions extending over the first side andsecond side and an opening through which the threaded portion of thebolt partially extends above a top surface of the standoff.
 2. The racksystem of claim 1, wherein a bevel on the beveled shoulder of the boltfits flush with an inner surface of the rack.
 3. The rack system ofclaim 1, wherein the rack further comprises at least one hanger openingprovided at at least one end thereof.
 4. The rack system of claim 3,wherein the at least one hanger opening is configured to receive ahanger rod.
 5. The rack system of claim 4, wherein the hanger rod isconfigured to secure the rack system to a structure.
 6. The rack systemof claim 1, wherein at least one hanger rod configured to secure therack system to a structure is received within the opening in the topridge.
 7. The rack system of claim 1, wherein the leg portions of thestandoff sit flush along the first side and the second side of the rack.8. The rack system of claim 1, wherein the first side and the secondside of the rack terminate in a first end and a second end, and a firstplate having openings is attached at the first end and a second platehaving openings is attached at the second end.
 9. The rack system ofclaim 8, wherein the first plate and the second plate each have an outersurface comprising a concave indentation.
 10. The rack system of claim8, further comprising: a first support to which the first plate issecured by a fastener; and a second support to which the second plate issecured by a fastener.
 11. The rack system of claim 10, wherein thefirst support and the second support are circular posts, and thefastener is a U-bolt around each of the posts with ends extendingthrough openings in the first and second plates, and the indentation onthe first and second plates sits flush with the circular posts.
 12. Therack system of claim 10, wherein the fastener is welding.
 13. A racksystem comprising: a rack with a first side connected to a second sideby a top ridge having an opening, wherein the first side and the secondside terminate in a first end and a second end; a first plate comprisingopenings attached at the first end, and a second plate comprisingopenings attached at the second end; wherein said first plate and secondplate each have an outer surface comprising a concave indentation; afirst support to which the first plate is secured by a fastener; and asecond support to which the second plate is secured by a fastener,wherein the first support and second supports are circular posts, andthe fastener is a U-bolt around each of the posts with ends extendingthrough the openings in the first and second plates, and the indentationon the first and second plates sits flush with the circular posts.
 14. Arack system comprising: a rack having a rack body with an openingextending therethrough, the rack body terminating in a first end and asecond end; a plate comprising openings attached to one of the first endand the second end, the plate having an outer surface comprising aconcave indentation; and a support to which the plate is secured by afastener, wherein the support is a circular post, the fastener is aU-bolt around the circular post with ends extending through the openingsin the plate and the indentation on the plate sits flush with thecircular post.